Field
The following disclosure relates to a wireless communication system, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for controlling in-device coexistence interference in a wireless communication system.
Discussion of the Background
A wireless communication system generally uses one bandwidth for transmitting data. For example, a 2-generation wireless communication system uses a bandwidth in the range of 200 KHz to 1.25 MHz and a 3-generation wireless communication system uses a bandwidth in the range of 5 MHz to 10 MHz. In order to support an increased transmission capacity, 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE) or IEEE 802.16m has extended a bandwidth thereof up to 20 MHz or more in recent years. The bandwidth may need to increase so as to increase the transmission capacity, but supporting a large bandwidth even when a required service level is low may cause large power consumption.
Therefore, a multiple component carrier system has appeared, which defines a carrier having one bandwidth and one center frequency, and can transmit or receive data in a wideband through a plurality of carriers. A narrowband and the wideband are simultaneously supported by using one or more carriers. For example, when one carrier corresponds to a bandwidth of 5 MHz, a bandwidth of maximum 20 MHz is supported by using four carriers.
Due to a ubiquitous connection network of today, user can access different networks in different regions and continuously keep connectivity wherever. In the related art in which one terminal communicates with one network system, the user carried different equipments supporting respective network systems. However, in recent years, as functions of a single terminal have been advanced and complicated, the user can communicate with a plurality of network systems simultaneously by using only the single terminal and user convenience has increased.
However, when one terminal performs communication on a plurality of network system bands simultaneously, In-Device Coexistence interference (IDC) may occur. The in-device coexistence interference (IDC) means interference when transmission in any one frequency band interferes in reception in another frequency band. For example, the in-device coexistence interference may occur between a Bluetooth system band and a 802.16 system band when one terminal supports both a Bluetooth system and a 802.16 system. The in-device coexistence interference may occur primarily when a spacing interval of a frequency band boundary of a heterogeneous network system is not sufficiently large.
In this regard, various in-device coexistence interference avoidance (ICO) techniques are proposed.